my views on the local news in Minnesota

August 20, 2008

Whatever Happened to Human Rights?

At what point do people lose sight of basic human rights? After how
many tiny bites chipping away gradually at the freedom to live one's
life as one sees fit so long as it doesn't hurt others? How many fake
causes do you need to use, one after the other, to squeeze the freedom
out of normal lives, until a majority of people are either so apathetic
that they don't care anymore, or they have so adjusted their
expectations that they no longer feel outrage when an 81 year old man is charged with a crime for repairing his neighbors' lawnmowers for free? And a neighbor on the same street is threatened with legal action for selling home-grown plants to others.

Because the city in which they live has adopted commercial zoning
bylaws that do not allow any form of home business whatsoever, and they
carry severe penalties. The 81 year old who likes to tinker with
lawnmowers could be fined up to $25,000.

The article in the local paper takes great pains to point out that
the 81 year old handyman doesn't charge for his labors, and the
gardener gives her proceeds to charity. The article's author apparently
thinks that lack of a profit motive should perhaps protect these two.
The article's author has been brainwashed just like those who believe
these laws are just.

What's wrong with earning money from selling plants you grow or
fixing other people's lawnmowers? How in the world does either of these
activities hurt anyone else? Frankly, I am at a loss to understand this
thinking.